Method and construction for the prevention of sink-holes in railroad-beds.



D. MAEOONI. A METHOD AND OONSTEOOTION EOE TEE PREVENTION OE EINE EOLEs 1N EAILEOAD BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1909. 956,987, 'Patented May 3,1910.

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APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1909. I

Patented May 3, 1910.

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. D. NMRGONI. METHOD rAND GONSTRUUTION FOR THE PREVENTION 0F SINK HOLES IN RAILROAD BEDS. APPLICATION FILM JULY 6. 1909.

956,987. Patented May 3, 1910.

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DAVID MARCONI, OF RENNIE, MANITOBA, CANADA.

METHOD AND CONSTRUCTION FOR THE PREVENTION 0F SINK-HOLES IN RAILROAD- BEDS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID MARCONI, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Rennie, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Constructions for the Prevention of Sink-Holes in Railroad-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in method and construction for the prevention of sink-holes in railroad beds, and the chief object of my invention is to construct a roadbed so that in boggy and swampy land the formation of sinksholes will be impossib-le, and thus very considerably reduce the cost of maintenance of road-beds over swampy or boggy land, and to insure the stab-ility of the bed for the track.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method and construction whereby when the sink-hole occurs in the ground underneath the road-bed, the same may be filled up and the road-bed strengthened so as to prevent 'any sinking in the track above the sink-hole.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a method for repairing railroad beds in case a depression should be caused by the falling away of the ballast through the use of loam or clay in the grading.

My method and constructio-n for putting the same into practice, will be hereinafter particularly described, and What I claim as new will. be pointed out in the claims forming part of this specication.

Figures l and 2, are vertical cross-sections through a roadbed constructed according to my invention. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through a road-bed constructed according to my invention over a stretch of b-oggy or swampy land, in which no sink-hole has occurred. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section through a section of road-bed constructed according to my invention, which section is shown in perspective, and part ofthe eml bankment broken away so as to illustrate details of construction, and Fig. 5 is a ver tical cross-section through a roadsbed showing a further alternative form of construe tion of my invention.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Serial No. 506,238.

In constructing railroads over swampy or boggy land, it is well known that notwithstanding the method employed to give a firm foundation for the road-bed, portions of the road-bed, of various lengths, oftentimes sink, thus rendering it very diiiicult, if not impossible, to operate trains over the tracks. Now the sinking of the road-bed is caused by the giving away of the soft ground on which the road-bed is built, and the conse quent falling into the hole thus formed, of the material composing the road-bed. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a method which can be carried out in different ways whereby a iirm road-bed can be built over swampy or boggy places and maintained in good conditions so that it will support any amount of traffic.

In Figs. l, 2, and v4, I show a road-bed construction over a boggy or swampy piece of land in which a sink-hole A already eX- ists. Now before I can build my construction, the sink-hole A must be filled in by any suitable material, such as logs, earth, or stones, B. Bridging the sink-hole are a plurality of cross-logs C which are long enough so that their ends will rest upon firm ground. The cross-logs C are placed close together, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 4. The said cross-logs are preferably, though not essentially, notched as shown at D so as to receive the longitudinal logs E, which are placed end to end. The road-bed is then built up part way so as to slope inward at each side down to the longitudinal logs E. The side logs F are then placed in two rows with their lower ends resting in the notches Gr formed in the longitudinal logs E, and resting upon the material forming the lower portion H of the road-bed. If desired, before placing the side logs F in place, longitudinal side logs I may be placed in position, and said side logs F may be rested on said longitudinal side logs. Either the side logs F or the longitudinal side logs I may be notched in order to stiften the construction. When the before-mentioned logs are placed in position, the cavity above the said logs is filled in by means of rock J, and the whole topped oif by any suitable ballast K on which are placed the sleepers L carrying the rails M. If conditions warrant it, the construe tion shown in Fig. 1 may be used. This construction illustrates an upper row of crosslogs N which are placed on the earth filling O covering the logs F and their supports. Carried by the upper cross-logs N are upper longitudinal logs P which carry the upper side logs Q. Covering the logs N, P, and Q, may be any suitable iilling R of earth, and above the earth It may be placed the rock filling J, as before described.

Where the railroad is to be built over boggy or swampy land in which no sinkholes are visible, I ma use the side logs F and upper side logs Cdl, and dispense with the other supporting logs. Of course it is conceivable that conditions may only require the use of the side logs F, either with, or without, the other side logs thereunder or thereabove as will be understood.

If desired, the longitudinal side logs I may be secured together as shown at 2, and under the jointed ends of said side logs an under-supporting log 3 may be placed, (see Fig. 4.).

IiiI desired, the side logs F may be supported at their outerends on vertical logs 30 which rest upon the cross-logs C.

4e is a brace-bar having bent ends 5 which overlap. the longitudinal side logs I so as to prevent the same from spreading apart.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the cross-logs C as being placed in the bottom of a trench 6, shown as filled in and over the top of the sink-hole. This construction places the cross-logs C below the top surface of the firm ground. There may be conditions une der which this construction may be very useful.

Although I have illustrated my method by dierent constructions of put-ting the same into operation under a sing-le track, it will be understood that the method can be employed on double tracks, or, in fact, above road-beds of any Width, because to get the desired width it is only necessary to either increase the length of the side logsand vary their angle of inclination to each other as circumstances may demand, or else construct the road-bed with the constructions illustratedV the desired number of times in order to provide for the width ot the roadbed.

struction, because of the dearth of first-class material, to make the grading of a large per- Y a plurality of logs forming two side rows centage of loam or clay. Now moisture has an injurious effect on railroad beds so constructed, and consequently such roadbeds are apt to more or less cave in in places, and without further illustration it will be understood that my method can be employed in repairin such road-beds. In repairin a sink-hole in the railroad bed, itself, it wi be understood that the angularlfy disposed logs F will be employed, with or without, the supporting logs, and that when the logs have been positibned, the cavity will belled up in the usual way.

Sometimes it is essential in railroad cona Pluralt The angular' disposition of the logs F and Q, to each other is essential, and I have found from actual practice that these logs maintain, or hold in position, the earth between them and prevent the spreading of the road-bed.

In putting my method into practice, I iind that the inclined logs are most eii'icient when placed at an angle anywhere from 25 degrees up to 30 degrees.

While I have described what I consider to be the best embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that the principles can be embodied in different forms, and I desire not to be limited beyond the requirements of the prior art, and the terms of my claims.

It will of course be understood that my methods and constructions may be employed in the building of ordinary road-beds.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The method of the prevention of the formation of sinkholes in railroad-beds, which consists in building in with the roadbed, in two side rows, a plurality of logs placed at the angle of highest eiciency..

2. The method of the prevention of the formation of sink-holes in railroad-beds, which consists in buildingin with the roadbed, supporting logs, and resting upon the supporting logs, in two side rows, a plurality of logs placed at the angle of highest efficiency.

3. The method of the prevention of the formation of sink-holes in railroad-beds, which consists in illing in the sink-holes with suitable material; then bridging it over with cross-logs, and then building in with the road-bed, in two side rows, a plurality of logs placed at the angle of highest eiliciency, and carried by said cross-logs.

4. The method of repairing sink-holesv in railroad beds, which consists in placing in i the cavity a plurality of llogs placed at the angle of highest eiiiciency, and then lling up the cavity with the desired material.

5. The method of preventing the spreade ing of railroad beds which consists in buildingin with the road-bed, in two side-rows of logs placed at the angle ci highest e ciency. v

G. The combination with a railroad-bed, of

which are placed at the angle of highest eiiiciency to each other.

7. The combination with a railroad hed', of a plurality of logs forming two sets of side rows, the sides of each row being placed at the angle of highest eiiiciency to each other, and the said sets oi? rows being separated by material composing the road-bed.

8; The combination with a railroad-bed, of a plurality of supporting logs, and another plurality of logs carried by said supporte ing logs and forming two side rows which are placed at the angle of highest efficiency said longitudinal side logs, and placed at the to each other. angle of highest eiiicieney to each other. 10 9. The combination with a railroad-bed, of In testimony whereof I have affixed my u plurality of cross-logs; a plurality of lonsignature in presence of two witnesses.

. gitudinal logs carried thereby; a plurality DAVID IVIARCONI.

of longitudinal side logs, and a plurality of Witnesses: side logs forming two side rows which are M. F. CLARKE, carried by the said longitudinal logs andl E. G. FRICK. 

